WHAT’S BLACK and white and read all over by Philadelphia’s independent media? Philly Zine Fest, now in its 10th year, is an annual gathering of do-it-yourself publishers, artists and writers that showcases small self-published magazines.

Themed “HallowZine,” this year’s festival, Saturday at West Philly’s Rotunda, offers the chance to flip through hundreds of these publications. There will also be costume, trivia and ghost-story contests, plus food, a DJ and live broadcasts on Drexel’s WKDU (91.7-FM) radio station.

“Zines can be about anything and can inspire a lot of different feelings,” said Sarah Rose, one of the festival’s organizers. The most powerful zines make readers laugh and think about big issues at the same time, she said.

Rose is the creator of a zine called Tazewell’s Favorite Eccentric, which addresses addiction, abuse and poverty. Her other zines include Worries, about anxiety, and Dangerous Damsels, about feminist fairy tales.

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A century-old former church called the Rotunda stands as a symbol of Penn’s civic engagement with West Philadelphia.

The Rotunda — located at 4014 Walnut St. — now houses a community-based arts initiative that started in 1998 with the goal of serving as a bridge to bring together Penn and West Philadelphia.

Program director Gina Renzi hosts between three to six events per week ranging from live music, film, art or after-school programs for local students. It is one of many elements of Penn’s focus on improving its surrounding neighborhood.

But Penn was not always the neighbor it is today.

“If Benjamin Franklin came back to Penn 30 years ago, he would be very upset with Penn’s relationship with the community,” Urban Studies Professor and Associate Vice President and Director of the Netter Center for Community Partnerships Ira Harkavy said.

Since the 1980s, though, Penn has begun a new chapter of working with the community — a chapter Harkavy believes is on display today at the Rotunda.

A history of civic engagement
In 1985, Harkavy and former Netter Center Senior Fellow Lee Benson, who died last February, started to teach a seminar on urban universities and community relationships. The course was co-taught with former Penn President Sheldon Hackney for the first few years.

From Hackney’s involvement in this seminar to former Penn President Judith Rodin’s campus expansion initiatives to current Penn President Amy Gutmann’s Penn Compact, civic engagement with West Philadelphia started to get more and more attention.

“Civic engagement is central to what a Penn education and what Penn as a university is all about,” Gutmann said.

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Residencies last for one year and include an apartment, studio space in the AIR Space artistic nexus on 40th street, and close affiliation with Penn’s writing communities. During the course of their residencies, writers will be encouraged to develop at least one project at the Writers House — such as a reading, a panel discussion, or discussion group. Qualified applicants (with graduate degrees or appropriate experience) may also be considered to teach a writing course at Penn in the spring semester.

The City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program unites artists and communities through a collaborative process, rooted in the traditions of mural-making, to create art that transforms public spaces and individual lives.

Studio 34 envisions a community that nurtures individuals and families in their pursuit of physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness. We will celebrate, connect and create communities through healing and creative arts.

NBW promotes youth development by offering educational, recreational, and career-building opportunities through bicycling. It also promotes cycling as a healthy, environment-friendly form of transportation.

Info on recycling, composting, upcycling, waste management, and more at Penn